Kalen DeLoach Picks FSU

By Jim JohnsonSouthernPigskin.com

Kalen DeLoach, a 6’1 205 lb. athlete from Islands High School, in Savannah, Georgia, has officially announced his commitment to Florida State.

Kalen DeLoach, a 6’1 205 lb. athlete from Islands High School, in Savannah, Georgia, has officially announced his commitment to Florida State. The four-star picked the Seminoles over nearly 20 other FBS offers, including the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Michigan, South Carolina, and LSU, to name a few.

“When I went down to florida state it just felt like it was home. The bond I had with the coaches and players, it just felt like home,” DeLoach explained on the Southern Pigskin Radio Network.

He continued, “I feel like Coach Taggart has had a lot of success with his past teams. When he went to Oregon, he had a winning record. I feel like he’s going to prove a lot this year and bring national championships back to Florida State. He does things other coaches haven’t done and that’s what i like about him.”

Ranked as one of the top 20 outside linebackers in the country, and one of the top 30 players in the state of Georgia, this athletic dynamo has arguably as high an upside as any prospect in the nation.

Last season, he compiled 156 total tackles, 13 sacks and two interceptions, along with nine rushing scores for the Sharks. Alongside other highly touted prospects, such as Michael Robertson and James Shellman, the two-way star is poised to not only match, but build on that strong 2017 campaign.

“I’m glad the process is finally over and I can sit back and play my senior season without worrying about what school I’m going to,” DeLoach said.

And he’s a coach’s dream.

"Great kid, great work ethic. First one to practice, loves the game," explained Islands head coach Robert Zoller. "As a player, he is our defensive leader. Two words to describe him: fast and disruptive. He is the catalyst of our team, high energy and high juice."

With a listed 4.5 40-yard dash, 4.39 shuttle, and 30 inch vertical, fast and disruptive might be an understatement.

Projected primarily as an outside linebacker, DeLoach is exactly the sort of chess piece that every defensive coordinator dreams about. As offenses continue to get evolve, spread out, and speed up, versatility is college football currency.

DeLoach offers immediate pass rushing help as a true edge rusher with sideline-to-sideline speed, as well as the quickness and lateral agility to cover running backs out of the backfield, and potentially cover receivers as a quasi-slot corner.

Given the recent success of positionless virtuosos like Derwin James and Minkah Fitzpatrick, the addition of DeLoach is a dream come true for Head Coach Willie Taggart and company.

Few high school football players each year are as physically gifted as Kalen DeLoach. Even fewer match the talent with the unwavering work ethic that he does.

Players like him are few and far between, yet players like him are exactly what college defenses need.

Florida State has a storied and historic tradition of elite linebacker play. DeLoach isn’t just the next in line -- he’s a bridge from the greats of yesteryear to the greats still to come.